Always Your Friend
by Mina37
Summary: Long ago, Tsuna and Byakuran knew each other. Long ago, they were friends. This led to a tragedy.
1. Chapter 1

**So, I've had this idea in my head for ages and finally managed to write it. I, uh... it's supposed to be a oneshot, but I might be doing a second part to this... It's not going to become any longer than two chapters, at most, and it should be okay, even if I leave it like this... But, do tell me your opinion, if I should make that second part or not (I'm still probably going to do it, just because.)**

 **English isn't my native language, so if you spot any mistakes, I'd be happy if you pointed them out for me!**

 **(I apologize if the characters are OOC, it's been a while since I watched/read KHR)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.**

 **Always Your Friend**

For as long as Tsuna could remember, it was like something was missing.

He was always alone. He was Dame-Tsuna, after all, and no one wanted to be friends with Dame-Tsuna. His peers hated him, the neighbors hated him, all the adults hated him, hell, his own _mother_ hated him. At least, she didn't love him, not like a mother should. She, just like everyone else, called him by that nickname, after all. She if anyone knew just how useless he truly was, having him live in the same house and all.

He didn't remember when he had last seen his father, and maybe that was what was missing. But there was something nagging at him, telling him that that wasn't it. Something else was missing. Something, an important part of his life, something that he _needed_ there, was missing.

He wondered what it was. He would often lay awake at night, staring up at his room's ceiling, just wondering. Counting and naming things he had and didn't have, crossing things out on a gut feeling. No, it wasn't his father that was missing, nor was it that new, super cool robot toy that everyone at school was going on about. He always pondered, but he could never come up with an answer. He could never figure out, what it was that was missing.

At one point, he had thought it was friends. It would have been logical, too, seeing as he never had any. He, too, was just a human like the rest. He _needed_ attention. He _needed_ to have some sort of social contacts, other than bullies and his mother. It had been a logical assumption, that he had craved for friendship so badly that it begun feeling like something was missing from his life.

But then, Reborn appeared into his life. Reborn appeared and brought mafia and Dying Will Bullets with him. As weird as it sounded, Reborn brought _friends_ into his life. Yet… the feeling of something missing persisted. It stayed, even as he befriended Yamamoto and Gokudera. It continued, even as he became somewhat friends with the Sasagawa siblings, Haru and Hibari. It continued to eat at his insides when Lambo, I-Pin and Fuuta began to live with him, his mother, Reborn and Bianchi.

The feelings that something was missing stayed with him… but he was so used to it already, that it was like a hum in the background as he concentrated on surviving, on keeping his friends safe in the insanity that was becoming his normal life.

After the Cloud Ring Battle, where Vongola Nono, Timoteo, suddenly unsealed the true potential of his Dying Will Flame, he entertained the idea that that had been, what his life was missing. It was only for a short while, for merely seconds, that he thought so. Because, now that the seal was lifted, the background hum was still there. If anything, the feeling had grown, had become more noticeable, stronger. Almost as if something had been blocking the feeling, before, and now that the block had been lifted, the real weight of it came crashing down on him.

Perhaps that was exactly what had happened. His Flames had been sealed, after all, and was it that unbelievable that the seal had blocked more than just his Flames? After the seal was lifted, his Hyper Intuition, as Reborn called it, seemed to be even sharper, after all.

Nevertheless… Tsuna lived, feeling like something was missing, never mentioning it to anyone. He never mentioned it to his mother, not even as he was just a little child. He never said anything to Reborn, even as he began to trust him, began to see him as someone who would stand by the side, protecting him if it was needed. He never told his new friends, even when he knew they had each other's backs, that they were all (him included) ready to lay their lives in each other's hands.

He never said anything, enduring the feeling of incompleteness all on his own, remembering to always smile, despite everything, so that no one noticed just how broken it made him.

…

 _White hair. Violet eyes. White skin, like light had never touched it._

…

Since being hit with the Ten Year Bazooka and traveling to the future, something was nagging at Tsuna. It wasn't like the feeling of incompleteness, though it was very similar. He couldn't place it, not with everything else going on. He had to figure out what all had happened in the future, there was training and then he had to save his friends and family, his Famiglia, as well as the world, apparently. He simply didn't have the _time_ to figure out what that nagging feeling was.

In an attempt to drown it, he concentrated on his friends. He concentrated on the training. The future Hibari was cruel in his training, though not unreasonable. At least, Tsuna assumed that. The man was harsh, but when was Hibari not? And even then, the man didn't expect him to do anything his future self apparently couldn't do.

Then again, ten years' worth of training for his future self, a few days for him, so maybe Hibari was a little unreasonable.

…

"… _Why do you always stand in the shadows?"_

…

The nagging got stronger when Irie Shoichi told them of what had _truly_ happened. Told them of the plan. How Shoichi, Tsuna's future self and future Hibari created a plan to take down the evil mastermind behind it all, Byakuran. He told them everything, of how he had gotten involved with the mafia, of how it was his fault that Byakuran awoke his dormant power of seeing to parallel universes…

Something about his story made Tsuna's Hyper Intuition start doing little flips. Nothing that could be called professional gymnastics, but little flips. For Tsuna, it was enough of an alarm. Noting the nagging that had begun when he came to the future, he couldn't help but think. _Something_ was off about this whole situation, but _what_?

…

" _Mom, what does it mean to be an albino?"_

" _Why do you ask, Tsu-kun?"_

…

"Yup~!" Byakuran's hologram grinned, his eyes closed. "You're busted, Sho-chan~!"

"Then again, I always knew you'd betray me", the hologram stated, before anyone had a chance to react to his words. "You never did quite fit into this lifestyle."

Tsuna looked at the hologram, listened to the words said by the man. Something… something wasn't right here. He just had no idea what it was.

"I knew that Vongola would contact you, that you'd take their side", Byakuran bragged. Or, the words were meant to give his statement a bragging tone, but Tsuna couldn't shake off the feeling that… this man wasn't bragging. There was something in his tone… Something, that didn't make the least bit sense, not with what he knew. "You were the natural choice."

"… The natural choice?" Shoichi gritted his teeth, glaring at the hologram. No doubt he felt very insulted, for he _had_ managed to keep up a good act. And still, Byakuran managed to sniff him out?

"Of course", the smirk on the hologram's face was… it was victorious, smug, but also somehow nostalgic. "After all… Vongola wasn't going to do anything without an inside man, and you… you were the only one who would be considered an ally. You never did like what I did."

"What you're doing, what you've _done_ , is wrong", Shoichi stated. He looked scared, but it was understandable. This man in front of him… he'd taken so much from him, from everyone. The fact that he was even able to _say_ those words was a proof of his braveness.

Tsuna couldn't say that he could do the same.

Absently, he noted that something had changed. Something was missing, but not in the same sense as before. Something _else_ was missing now… and he didn't know what it was.

His Hyper Intuition continued to nag at him.

…

" _Mom said that… that you could come over, if you want!"_

…

Choice was… interesting?

In a way, it was. There was a sense of familiarity to it that made Tsuna frown, his Hyper Intuition getting more professional with the gymnastic moves. Only a little, though. What caused the familiarity, he didn't know. Due to the situation he, _they_ were in, he pushed the very thought into the back of his head. He could wonder about it later on.

Right then, he had to concentrate on winning. He could save everyone only by winning.

They lost. _He_ lost.

He wasn't sure why he took it so personally. He wasn't the only player on the board. There was no reason for it to be _his_ loss, but _their_ loss. Yet, he could only think of it as his own loss. It had been him versus Byakuran, all over again, and he had lost, once more.

Such thoughts left him easily enough when Yuni appeared. Soon after, they had to run for it, and he completely forgot how he had worded a certain thought. He completely forgot about how familiar Choice seemed, to him.

He completely forgot, how Byakuran looked at him with a mix of sadness, nostalgia, hope and desperation.

…

" _If we stay inside, you don't need to worry about burning your skin!"_

…

It all came back in a rush, when the seal finally broke.

He hadn't had time to think about all the feelings inside him. He didn't have time to process how his Hyper Intuition really _did_ become an Olympic-level gymnastic once he was facing Byakuran. He didn't have time for any of that, because he was fighting for his life. He was fighting to protect his friends, fighting for everyone's future. In that chaos, such nagging thoughts as "this is familiar" went to the background as more important instincts, such as "duck!", took the central stage.

And then, after a long and painful battle, it all came to an end. In a fit of rage, he incinerated Byakuran. Not even ashes were left of him.

But, he could see the expression on Byakuran's face as he died, the sad yet thankful smile, his eyes… and he could hear, in the wind, his last words. "Thank you… I'm sorry."

He was the only one who heard them. He was the only one who saw the man's last expression. He was the only one.

And the seal broke.

…

" _What's your name? I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi, but you can call me Tsuna! Let's be friends!"_

"… _Nice to meet you, Tsu-kun! I'm Gesso Byakuran, but you can call me Bya-kun! Since we're best friends!"_

…

He fell to his knees, his body feeling numb. Without even realizing it, without his own will, tears appeared in his eyes, falling down his cheeks. It all came crashing down on him, all of a sudden…

The feeling was there, again. Something was missing.

But now… he knew what that something was.

…

" _My mother told me I'm not allowed to play out in the sunshine. I'm an albino."_

 _Tsuna, only 4 years old, looked at the white-haired, violet-eyed boy in confusion. The boy, sitting in the shadows under a tree, was a year older than him at best, his skin white. Tsuna had never seen anyone with such a skin color._

"… _Albino…?" he tilted his head. He didn't know that word._

 _The other boy looked at him for a moment before sighing sadly. "It's… never mind."_

…

His friends celebrated. They had won. Some cried for Yuni and Gamma, who had given away their lives to revive the Arcobaleno. But no one… no one shed tears for the one who was killed, for Byakuran.

No one but Tsuna.

He cried, not hearing his friends congratulating him, not hearing them celebrating. All he heard was ringing, as the reality of the situation slowly dawned on him. As it did, more tears pushed their way forward.

Why did this happen?!

…

" _Let's play Choice!"_

" _Choice?" Sawada Nana looked at the two boys in the living room, blinking._

" _It's a game Bya-kun created!" Tsuna beamed, proud of his friend._

" _Oh?" Nana turned to the albino boy, who looked a little abashed, but was still grinning. "What kind of play is it?"_

" _First, we roll a die!" the boy beamed, his violet eyes closed, like so often. "That decides how many 'lives' we have!"_

" _The 'lives' are represented by toys!" Tsuna gestured to his toys, that the two had gathered around them on the living room floor. "Afterwards, we hide them, and the other has to find them!"_

" _One of the toys will be the true 'heart'", Byakuran grinned. "The one who finds that first and brings it back here is the winner!"_

" _That's a nice game!" Nana smiled, before blinking. "But, wouldn't it be hard to carry all those toys around?"_

" _Silly!" the boys giggled. Tsuna grinned at his mother. "If I find one of Bya-kun's toys, I have to bring it straight here. Then it's Bya-kun's turn to search for one of mine, and after he brings one of the toys here, I get to look again!"_

" _Oh!" Nana clapped her hands together, grinning brightly. "And that way, you know who gets the 'heart' first!"_

" _Exactly!" Byakuran giggled._

" _And so that it will be fair, we both need to have at least three 'lives'!" Tsuna glanced at his friend._

" _Hmm… but why 'Choice'?" Nana asked, a little confused._

" _Because, if you can't find the toy during your turn, you have three choices!" Byakuran grinned. "You can give up, skip your turn or ask for a hint! So it's all about choices!"_

…

It's all about choices…

Something had been nagging at him since the beginning. It wasn't Byakuran's presence, it had been something about him. Now, crying, Tsuna thought about it, thought about him, and he felt memories slot into their rightful places. Memories that had been sealed away, memories he didn't know he had had.

Memories that had a completely different Byakuran than the one he had just killed.

How had this happened?!

…

" _Dame-Tsuna! Look at Dame-Tsuna!"_

 _Tsuna flinched away. It was this again, the same old tirade._

" _Hey, you!"_

 _The bully and Tsuna turned to look at a boy with pure white hair, white skin and violet eyes. The eyes that were usually close were open and the usual smile was long gone, replaced with a frown and an angry expression. Like that… the boy looked quite scary, almost like a demon straight from hell._

 _All of the kids on the playground watched in something akin to horror as the albino growled. "Call my Tsu-kun that again and you'll regret it."_

 _When the bully ran away, screaming and crying, Tsuna grinned. "Thanks, Bya-kun!"_

" _Anything for Tsu-kun!" Byakuran giggled and hugged his best friend._

…

"… Tsuna?" Dino was the first to realize something was truly wrong. He looked at him in worry, but he couldn't say anything. Not through the onslaught of memories, of emotions. The horror and guilt were the strongest feelings, the realization that _he just killed his best friend, oh god_ eating at him like nothing had ever had.

He could only barely keep the sob from escaping, his hand flying to his mouth to muffle it. That is what alerted most people to his crying, to his mourning. Not that they understood what it was that he was mourning. How could they understand, when none of them knew what they were? What they used to be? How could any of them _understand_?!

He killed Byakuran. He killed his _best friend_ , the _one thing_ he had been missing for most of his life!

…

" _Tsu-kun… I'm sorry."_

" _Eh? Bya-kun? What's wrong?"_

" _This… This is the last time we'll see each other."_

" _What do you mean?"_

"… _It's for the best. I'm too unstable to be safe."_

"… _Bya-kun?"_

"… _I'm sorry. Goodbye."_

…

The rest of their time in the future was hazy for him. They stayed for maybe a day more, before they went back to their own time. Yet, Tsuna couldn't really make much of it. He spent that time, wallowing in guilt, wondering what had happened.

Why had Byakuran turned out like he had? The Byakuran he remembered was, while a little weird, kind and protective. He didn't become angry easily, unless you hurt someone close to him. The Byakuran he had killed… he had seemed like a completely different person.

Why had his future self come up with this whole plan? It made no sense. Why would he come up with a plan to kill his best friend? Unless… his memories weren't back? That would explain…

But, what did Byakuran mean with his last words? He said he was sorry… but he also thanked him. Why? It made absolutely no sense. The apology did, because yes, Byakuran was at fault for all of this as well. If he hadn't gone all evil megalomaniac, Tsuna wouldn't have needed to fight him. But… why was he thankful? For him killing him?

It made no sense. Tsuna wasn't sure what to think about it all, about _anything_ , anymore.

…

" _An albino person has really light skin and hair! Remember that cute cat you saw the other day? Someone who is albino has hair like its fur!"_

"… _Why can't they play in the sunlight?"_

" _Can't play in the sunlight?"_

"… _There's a boy in the playground, and he never leaves the shadow of the trees. He said he's albino, and that his mother said he can't play in the sunlight."_

" _Oh! Well, Tsu-kun, remember when you got sunburn? How it hurt?"_

"… _Uh-huh."_

" _An albino person's skin is even lighter than yours. That means they get sunburn much easier, and it really hurts them."_

"… _Then, if he played inside, it would be okay?"_

" _Of course! You know what, how about you invite him over? He can come over anytime, and then you can play inside without needing to fear sunburn!"_

"… _Okay!"_

…

Their return to their time was… not bad, but not good, either. The rest easily caught up with their routines. The rest continued to live, like their little time travel hadn't actually happened, or that it had only been a dream. By all rights, it was. The Arcobaleno had done something to ensure that it _couldn't_ happen, _couldn't_ become their future.

But Tsuna… he was another matter entirely. He was… depressed, to say the least.

That, of course, didn't go unnoticed by others.

"Juudaime?" Gokudera asked quietly a few days after their return, during a break. "Is… Is everything okay?"

He should have said something. He should have mentioned something a long ago. He should have told them about the feeling of something missing the moment he became friends with them. But he hadn't told them, and he wasn't about to tell them now. He had been able to hide it all for this long… he would be able to hide it from now on, too.

After all… he was the one who killed Byakuran, he was guilty of killing his best friend, and he deserved this punishment for his sins.

Tsuna just smiled, just like he always did. "Yeah!"

…

 _Demon. That's what they called him._

" _Why is_ Dame-Tsuna _hanging out with that_ Demon _?"_

 _Kids their age were unforgiving. If you didn't fit into the group, whether it was because of abilities or looks… You could only expect them to do their absolutely worst._

 _At the very least, they had each other to lean on. They didn't need others._

…

Tsuna's depressed state lasted for a few days after they came back. He kept up with the routine on those few days, but he was just so tired, so unenthusiastic about everything for those few days. He went to school and slept through classes, disappeared for most breaks and just generally avoided everyone. Whenever he was talked to, asked about it, he just smiled and claimed to be okay. But his mask wasn't as good as he thought, and it never would be good enough to fool Reborn.

That afternoon, they came home, like usually. With a tired greeting, Tsuna retired to his room, while Reborn hopped onto the kitchen table, tilting his head as he watched Nana humming as she bustled around. She seemed… unusually happy, considering that she, too, had noticed her son's depression.

A glance towards Bianchi, Fuuta, I-Pin and Lambo showed them shrugging their shoulders and shaking their heads. They, too, had no idea why she was suddenly so happy.

Meanwhile, Tsuna found a letter on his pillow. Blinking a few times, his reactions sluggish, he took it and opened it, wondering who would have left such a thing there.

When he began reading, though, his eyes widened, his hazy mind coming to focus.

 _A last game of Choice. Game start._

 _I've changed the rules a little. I rolled a die, and I got number 1._

 _The area is all of Namimori. Here's the hint:_

 _My heart lies where you laid me to rest_

"My heart lies where you laid me to rest…?" Tsuna mumbled the words, staring at them. He knew who the letter was from, there was no doubt about it. Now… he just had to find him. Although he had no right, not anymore… he wanted to see him. He wanted to see him, and he wanted answers.

"My heart lies where you laid me to rest…" Tsuna frowned. That was… Where he laid him to rest…

His eyes suddenly widened, remembering a small detail he had ignored.

Everyone turned to look at the stairs as Tsuna stumbled down, obviously in a hurry. He threw a hoodie on, before he started putting on his shoes.

"Ara!" Nana looked at him, beaming. "Did you figure out the riddle?"

Tsuna, who had just reached for his keys, froze. It took him a few seconds to answer, but he did, smiling. "Yeah, I did. I… I'll be going now."

"Make sure to invite him over!" Nana reminded. "I'm making extra for dinner, and I expect it all will be eaten!"

Reborn, Bianchi, Fuuta, I-Pin and Lambo looked between them in confusion.

Tsuna laughed, though the sound was wet as tears began streaming down his face, his hand reaching for the doorknob. "Yeah, I'll definitely invite him over! I'm off, then!"

"Have a safe trip!" Nana waved to him as he threw the door open and ran out. He ran and ran, soon disappearing behind a corner, out of their sight.

Just as Reborn was about to go and follow, Nana stopped him. "And where do you think you're going, young man?"

Let it be noted that Reborn had _never_ been treated like this. "After Tsuna, of course."

Nana shook her head as she closed the door and walked back into the kitchen. "No, you won't."

"Mama…?" Bianchi blinked.

"This is something Tsu-kun has to do on his own", Nana smiled a little sadly as she went back to cooking. "It is not our place to interfere with what will happen between those two."

"Those two?" Fuuta blinked, looking up at her.

Nana smiled down at him, nodding. "Between Tsu-kun and his best friend!"

"Best friend?" Reborn frowned, tilting his fedora. "I didn't know he had one."

"It was a long ago", Nana hummed as she looked at the ceiling, tapping her finger on her chin thoughtfully. "They were seven or eight, maybe. It was a little weird, Tsu-kun went out to the park to see him, like always. But then, Bya-kun came here, carrying Tsu-kun. I don't know what happened, but Tsu-kun was unconscious and by the time I got him up to his bed, Bya-kun was gone. I heard they moved away the next day, and Tsu-kun never mentioned Bya-kun again, so I just forgot all about it…"

"Bya-kun?" Bianchi asked.

Nana smiled, nodding. "Yes! Byakuran, Gesso Byakuran!"

Reborn was quite okay with admitting that _that_ surprised him.

…

Tsuna stopped at the side of the clearing, leaning his hands against his knees as he panted. He had run all the way there from his house, and it wasn't a short distance. It was a _long_ distance. He was surprised he had managed to run all the way, especially without tripping even once. Reborn's training wasn't for nothing, in the end. "The flowers… the flowers in the coffin."

He raised his head to look at the white-haired and violet-eyed boy, sitting where, in the future, Tsuna woke up in a coffin. "They were white orchids."

Byakuran looked at him from where he saw on the ground, looking guilty. "… I'm sorry."

Tsuna, still panting a little, grimaced and looked down at the ground. "Why are _you_ sorry? _I_ was the one who…!"

He couldn't end that sentence. He couldn't _say_ , couldn't _admit_ , that he had killed the other.

"… Because…" Byakuran bit his lip. "… None of this would have happened, if not for me."

Tsuna looked at him, really looked at him. The other boy, the same age as him despite looking older, truly looked like he had lived for far longer than 14 years. Hell, he looked like he had lived for far longer than _24 years_. "… Bya-kun…?"

"It's not your fault", Byakuran said, immediately. "It was never Tsu-kun's fault. It was mine. Always my fault."

"Bya-kun, what are you saying?" Tsuna asked, rushing to get closer. Something was wrong. Though the background hum had disappeared, now that his best friend was there, his Hyper Intuition was still being the professional gymnastic it had learned to be in the future. Falling down to his knees beside Byakuran, he reached out to touch him. "Bya-kun?"

"I'm sorry", Byakuran said. "It's… it's my fault."

"It wasn't!" Tsuna shook his head. "You didn't…!"

"I was unstable!" Byakuran suddenly exclaimed. It was said in a rush, like it was the only way he could say the words.

Tsuna froze. "… Unstable? What do you mean?"

"I… When we were eight… Yuni's mother, Aria, she… she came to me", Byakuran stated. Tsuna's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything as he listened to Byakuran tell his story. "… She had seen… something more horrifying, in our future. Because Mare Rings were not… they were sealed, when you traveled back here."

"… Yeah…" Tsuna remembered that being mentioned. But what did that have to do with anything?

"Mare Rings, they… they caused insanity, in their unsealed form", Byakuran admitted with a small laugh. The noise was wet, though, and Tsuna realized his friend was crying. Realizing this, though, meant he also suddenly became aware that _he_ was crying, too. "That, added with the ability to see to parallel worlds…"

Byakuran didn't continue. He didn't need to. Tsuna could understand. The ability would have only added to the insanity the rings brought with them. Of course power like that didn't come without consequences.

"But what you saw… that was the _best-case scenario_ ", Byakuran's next words made him freeze.

"… What?" Tsuna asked, suddenly breathless.

Byakuran gulped, the noise audible. "… What Aria saw… it was even more horrible. She told me… she told me, what I did in that future, and I… I refused it."

"You… refused?" Tsuna was confused.

"I refused", Byakuran nodded, bringing his hand up to wipe away some of the tears. New ones took their places, though. "And… And I changed the future."

"You… changed the… future?" Tsuna's mind was trying to come up with an explanation, going a mile in a minute. Just how had…?

"It all came down to it… That you and I were friends", Byakuran was now using his long black sleeve to wipe his eyes from the tears. "We knew each other… and horrible things happened. So I… made it so that we didn't. Know each other."

Tsuna remembered. How that day, in the playground, they had met, just like always. They had met up, and… Byakuran had apologized, said it was the last time they'd see each other, that he was too unstable to be safe. He had said all that… and then raised a hand to his forehead, doing _something_ , and Tsuna remembered losing consciousness. He remembered that all, now, and aware of the existence of Flames as he was… he knew just what Byakuran did to him. "You… with Flames… tampered with my memory?"

Byakuran looked at him, his violet eyes shining with the tears he hadn't yet shed. Tsuna knew he wasn't much better, crying like there was no tomorrow. "… Yeah, I did. I'm so sorry."

Tsuna threw his arms around his best friend.

"It was the only way!" Byakuran wailed as he, too, wrapped his arms around the other, holding onto him tightly. "I couldn't… What Aria saw, I couldn't… that couldn't happen!"

Tsuna cried, too afraid to ask just _what_ had happened in that future, if what had happened was the _best-case scenario_.

They just cried and wailed there, holding each other like it was their last day on Earth. They cried for the sweet days of innocence that they had left behind so long ago, for the sake of the world, for the sake of their future, for the sake of _each other_.

It took quite a while, but they eventually calmed down. They still sniffled and let out the occasional sobs, and they didn't let go of each other, but they weren't loudly wailing anymore.

"… Originally, Tsu-kun remembered when he was 15 years old", it was apparently time to return to Byakuran's story. Tsuna tightened his hold a little, just a little scared of where this would be going. He didn't say anything, though, and just listened. "We met again, when we were 17 years old, or you were going to be, in a few weeks."

"We talked about a lot of things then", Byakuran remembered. "We exchanged phone numbers, too, and stayed in contact."

"When we were 20 years old… Tsu-kun realized I was sick", Byakuran murmured. Tsuna tensed up. "That I was insane. Gesso was still small, then, and Sho-chan didn't even know about… about my power, about anything, really. But Tsu-kun was always my best friend, and Tsu-kun realized he had to do something, or everyone would be in danger."

Tsuna hugged Byakuran tighter. "… What did I do?"

"… Tsu-kun found doctors. The best of them", Byakuran's chuckle sounded both humorous and sad, mostly because the tears had yet to dry and were causing it to come out as nearly a sob. "And it would have worked, if it wasn't my powers and Mare Ring causing it. The doctors couldn't do a thing for me. I knew that, they knew that, even Tsu-kun knew that. But Tsu-kun didn't give up."

And Tsuna knew why. He could _never_ give up on Byakuran, no matter what.

"It… by then, I was already gone. Too far gone", Byakuran admitted. "I knew that I was going to… that bad things would happen… that it would lead to that. I knew that, and… I told Tsu-kun. When I was feeling a little saner. Tsu-kun didn't want to believe, but he knew it was true. And I… I gave him a gun."

Tsuna tensed up again, tightening his hold on his best friend as he shed more tears.

"I even made sure he had it pointed at my heart, so that it would be over with one shot", Byakuran's tears were silent, but still there. "… Tsu-kun couldn't pull the trigger."

Of course he couldn't. That much should have been obvious to the both of them. _Especially_ if Tsuna remembered, he couldn't do that. Byakuran should have known that when he gave him the gun, but… he had been insane. He hadn't been sane when that happened, he had been _saner_.

"And then… we went our separate ways", Byakuran sniffled. "We met, once, after Sho-chan joined Gesso. When we did… I was feeling saner, again. We planned."

Tsuna's eyes widened. "… Planned?"

"… Sho-chan thought it was between you, him and Hibari", Byakuran admitted, quietly. "… But…"

"It wasn't", Tsuna suddenly realized. "It was between _us_."

Byakuran nodded but didn't say anything. Tsuna was glad, for he was trying to piece it all together. These new pieces of information caused a lot of other things to make sense. The look of desperation the future Byakuran had looked at him with. The way future Byakuran had known Shoichi would betray him but _hadn't done a thing to prevent it from happening_. It… it even explained that man's last words. "Bya-kun, you planned your own _death_!"

Byakuran flinched. "… We planned my death."

"And you had _me_ do it!" Tsuna was crying all over again. "Did you not realize how much it hurt? I killed you, and then the next second I remembered, and there's _always_ been something missing from my life and then I realized it was _you_ , and I had killed you, and…!"

"I wouldn't let anyone else kill me, what with being insane and all, but if you remembered before you killed me, you wouldn't do it", Byakuran tried to explain, holding him tighter. Yet, the hug never became unbearable. It never became uncomfortable, no matter how tightly they were holding each other. "It… It was the only choice… and I didn't want to… but we had to."

And Tsuna hated himself for complaining, because he _understood_. It still hurt, yes, but he knew that Byakuran was telling the truth. Him complaining hurt the other just as much as the event itself had hurt him. He _couldn't_ complain. He couldn't make Byakuran feel any guiltier than he already felt, for all of this.

They had had no other choices. To save the world, to save _their_ future, they had to make the hard decision.

"… We planned… and then…" Tsuna swallowed. "… Then we put it into action."

Byakuran nodded, silent tears trailing down his cheeks. "Sho-chan and Hibari were brought into it. You put the plan into action, and had that bullet shot at you."

"… I just _know_ that I insisted on the flowers", Tsuna felt bad, actually. That must have been horrible for his Guardians, for his friends and family, even if it might have been amusing to see their expressions when they realized he was being put to a coffin full of _white orchids_.

Byakuran laughed, and it sounded more humorous, so it was a win, either way. Maybe a coffin filled with white orchids wasn't such a bad idea, for when he died. At least he'd always have his best friend with him. "I would have wanted to see your family's faces!"

It wasn't even funny. It was quite morbid, actually. Yet, they were Mafiosi, crime was going to be their everyday life, whether they wanted it or not. Morbid sense of humor was probably going to be the only thing that kept them sane.

So, they laughed.

…

"By the way, Mama invited you over for dinner. Refusal is not possible."

"Aah, I kind of expected that. Not like I have elsewhere to stay, yet."

"Wait, what?! You're going to freeload in my house?!"

"Think of it as a sleepover!"

…

Everyone was anxiously waiting in the kitchen, sitting around the table, for the door to open. They had all eaten, already, and only two servings were left. Two servings that Nana had forbidden the rest from eating. They were, after all, for Tsuna and his best friend.

Reborn still had a hard time thinking of _Byakuran_ as Tsuna's best friend. Why had the chaos in the future happened, if that was how things were? And Tsuna hadn't shown any sign of recognition towards the man.

The door opened and a few people jumped on their seats, surprised. They glanced towards the doorway to the kitchen, Tsuna's voice calling out from the front door. "We're home, Mama!"

"Welcome home!" Nana beamed, standing up. She walked to the doorway… and froze. "Bya-kun? Tsu-kun? Is everything okay?"

Reborn frowned, reaching for Leon.

There was a pause from the boys, before they spoke, a small amount of laughter in their voices. "Yeah, we're fine."

Nana seemed unsure but herded them into the kitchen and to the dining table. And, seeing the duo, Reborn realized why Nana was worried.

The tear tracks and red, puffed eyes could be seen from a mile away.

Both boys seemed happy, though, smiling and laughing. Though Byakuran grimaced upon seeing the four kids and Bianchi stare at him, one glance at Tsuna, who gave them a look, had him calming down, somewhat. Taking note of that, Reborn gave Tsuna a look. The boy rolled his eyes but nodded.

… He expected an explanation after they were done eating and they went upstairs. They _would_ , and he didn't care if Byakuran had other places to be.

"Mama, Bya-kun's being ridiculous again", Tsuna started a conversation mid-way through his dinner. Byakuran gasped and looked at him, like he had just been betrayed.

Nana giggled. "How so?"

"When he dies, he wants his coffin filled with tunas", Tsuna gave Byakuran a look. " _Tunas_."

"And that is bad, _how_?!" Byakuran made an affronted sound. "You want your coffin filled with _white orchids_!"

Reborn watched in mild curiosity as this argument somehow turned into stealing each other's food, all the while Nana giggled at their antics. At the end of the food fight, Reborn was _almost_ willing to say that he had raised Tsuna well. He was definitely better than his best friend.

…

"Today, we have a new student joining us", their homeroom teacher said the next morning. "It was on short notice, so please be nice to him."

Tsuna noticed Gokudera scowl, Yamamoto look interested and Kyoko smile, glancing towards him. He grinned, excited. The rest of his classmates were murmuring, excited, albeit a little confused.

The door opened, and Gesso Byakuran walked inside with his trademark smirk and closed eyes.

Gokudera, Yamamoto and Kyoko were immediately on alert. The one who shrieked, though, was one of Tsuna's longtime bullies.

Byakuran ignored him and wrote his name on the board. Then, he turned around, still smirking. "Morning~! I'm Gesso Byakuran, but you can all call me Byakuran~!"

"Oh, and for those who still remember", Byakuran opened his eyes, turning to look at the boy who shrieked, in particular. "My threat still stands."

A few of their classmates shrunk under his gaze.

One hand rose. "What threat?"

"Call my best friend 'Dame-Tsuna'", Byakuran looked at all of his new classmates, except Gokudera, Yamamoto, Kyoko and Tsuna, with a threatening look. "And I will make you regret it."

A shiver ran down all of their classmates' spines. Byakuran just laughed and, without being told, went and grabbed a seat from beside Tsuna, who grinned at him. He grinned back, before turning to the frozen teacher. "Eh, sensei~? Aren't you going to start the lesson?"

"R-Right", the man cleared his throat before beginning.

…

After that, no one bullied Tsuna again. Or Byakuran, for that matter.

 **So, I hope you liked that! It wasn't originally meant to be this long, but, well, things happened.**

 **I have no idea why Tsuna's HI became a professional gymnastic. I really don't know.**

 **Either way, if you feel like it, leave a review! Have a nice day!**


	2. Chapter 2

**And here! A second chapter, where others find out about their friendship! It actually backtracks a little, but I don't think anyone will complain.  
**

 **Oh, and there's a part there, where it shows what happened in the future immediately after Tsuna and the rest came to the past. I'm mentioning this just in case, because it, well, it did seem a little confusing, once I read that part. But you'll notice it, I'm sure!**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned KHR, Xanxus would adopt Tsuna as his little brother sooner or later and Tsuna would be completely okay with it. _Obviously_ I don't own KHR.**

Reborn realized, he shouldn't be surprised at anything anymore. Sawada Nana was one of a kind and if she allowed strangers to live in her home, of course she would demand that her son's best friend would stay for the night. Really, it was so obvious she would. Especially since, _apparently_ , the guy didn't have another place to stay at and was actually counting on her demanding his presence for the night.

"You won't mind sharing a room with Tsu-kun and Reborn, right?" Nana asked from Byakuran the moment the boys were done eating. "We're a little short on free rooms right now."

"It's okay!" Byakuran grinned. Pulling Tsuna close to his side, into a half-hug, he continued. "We have a lot to catch up on, anyways!"

Oh, they definitely did. That was the one thing Reborn was going to agree with.

Five minutes later found them in Tsuna's room, Reborn glaring at the boys and situated between them and the door. There was the window, and if Byakuran decided to fly away with his wings (no doubt he had those again, _ugh_ ), Reborn probably wouldn't get there on time to stop him, but the albino didn't need to know that. Besides, he had guns for a reason. "Explain. _Now_."

Tsuna and Byakuran shared a glance. It seemed almost hesitant, but they both knew that they had to tell him. They couldn't leave Reborn out of the loop, that was just suicidal.

And so, they told him.

They told him _everything_.

At the end of it, Reborn was tilting his fedora to hide his eyes. The whole room was silent. Tsuna and Byakuran didn't dare to break the silence, fearing the hitman's reaction. Sure, they had had a reason for their actions, but _they had kept him out of the loop_.

Tsuna silently feared for his future self, because he didn't dare to hope that the hitman had known. How he had kept something so big hidden from Reborn, he didn't know and probably didn't want to know, either.

In the end, Reborn broke the silence with a sigh. "… The future Aria told you. What happened in it?"

Byakuran flinched, violently, and wasn't that just a proof of how bad it was? Sure, Byakuran didn't _like_ what he had done in the future, but he had said that it was the best-case scenario, compared to the future he had decided that would _not_ happen. While Tsuna wanted to know, too, he didn't dare ask, fearing what he might hear. He didn't want to remind Byakuran of that future, if it really was that bad. But Reborn wasn't as kind, and he wanted to _know_.

"It…" Byakuran took a deep breath. He looked down at his hands, on the small table in the middle of the room, just looking at them. Like he saw something there, something that no one else saw.

Tsuna didn't know what it was. Reborn did.

Blood.

Byakuran had blood in his hands, and he knew it, even if the people he had killed were all alive. He hadn't killed anyone, but he remembered doing it, and he knew his hands were bloody. Reborn could see it in him, in the way he looked at his hands. Most hitmen, most assassins, most Mafiosi kept looking at their hands like that for years, even when they were raised to kill.

Reborn didn't know, but he dared to say he himself had looked at his hands like that, once upon a time.

"… Everything went to hell, there", Byakuran stated. "We… Tsu-kun and I weren't meant to be friends. We weren't supposed to learn of each other, before we were the Skies of the Tri-ni-set."

It all came back to that, didn't it?

Tri-ni-set.

"Aria never told me exactly _how_ or _why_ it all happened, in that future she saw", Byakuran admitted. "Just that… just that I dragged Tsu-kun into the mafia, and somehow he got killed… and I went completely mad, trying to gather the Tri-ni-set to bring him back to life… I killed the guy behind the Tri-ni-set, Checker Face. But he was the only one who knew how to keep the balance, and…"

He was silent for a while, before continuing. "There's no movie that could accurately depict the end of the world. That's what Aria said."

The implication of that was clear to them.

Reborn found himself sighing again. Tsuna leaned his head on Byakuran's shoulder. The albino closed his eyes, sighing, no doubt telling himself over and over again that _Tsuna was right there_.

There was something else that Reborn decided to hang onto. "You dragged Tsuna into the mafia?"

Byakuran opened his eyes and turned to look at him. Now, in the body of a 14-year-old, he didn't look nearly as intimidating as in the future. No matter what his expression was. "I'm not entirely sure… but I understood that Tsu-kun wasn't Vongola Decimo? That the Tri-ni-set chose him as the next holder of the Vongola Sky Ring, but he _wasn't_ , for some reason, and that he was my subordinate in Millefiore? I think?"

Reborn blinked and then frowned. That… that meant there had been another candidate for the spot. It couldn't have been Xanxus. Reborn didn't know of any other candidates, either. But then, who?

Wait… it couldn't be, that Byakuran's move to Italy from Japan, that his presence in Italy, was like the flap of a butterfly's wings? A small, unimportant event, that ended up becoming a great storm once it reached far enough? Did Byakuran's presence in Italy cause the death of Vongola Nono's son, or worse, _sons_?

… It was best not to think about that. Byakuran obviously didn't know, even if it was the case, and Reborn wasn't going to suggest that it _was_ , indeed, his fault Tsuna was dragged into the mafia this time around.

Instead, he shook his head and got up to his feet. "Go to sleep, both of you. It's getting late."

…

Hours and a frantic call from one Vongola Nono later, Reborn found himself looking at the two sleeping boys. Timoteo had been worried, and rightfully so. After they all received memories from the future and Vongola had tried to find Byakuran, the boy had been nowhere in Italy. Yes, Vongola had searched _all_ of Italy to find the albino, only to come out emptyhanded. A frantic call to Reborn, in fear that Byakuran might want revenge for what had happened, and the Sun Arcobaleno had informed the current Vongola boss of the situation. That the two were best friends, Aria had seen a terrible future and Byakuran had vowed to change it, which led to the current situation.

Reborn wasn't sure why he did it. Why, when Timoteo stated that he would send someone there to fetch Byakuran back to Italy, far away from Tsuna, so that he wasn't a danger to the Vongola heir and so that Vongola could monitor him, he refused. Reborn didn't know why he said that it would be best to have Byakuran close by. Why he fought back that he was the World's Greatest Hitman, that he would _see_ if there something remotely wrong with Byakuran.

He didn't know why he did it… but he did it anyways, and now he had to deal with the consequences, because Timoteo had agreed, and now he had one more brat to look after.

Reborn let out a frustrated sigh and, glancing at Leon, began to plan.

…

Mornings in the Sawada household were always exciting. Every day was different from the last, and it was always a surprise, what changes a new day would bring.

Today, one of those changes was a certain room in the house turning into an aquarium. With the two teens sleeping inside, of course.

…

"Reborn!" Tsuna shouted as he and Byakuran stumbled down the stairs, dripping water all over the floor.

"Ara!" Nana turned to them as they reached the kitchen. "What did you two do?"

Tsuna glared at Reborn. Reborn, drinking coffee on the table, looked back innocently. Byakuran pointed at himself. "Why me, too?"

"A mafia boss should always be ready for everything!"

…

The moment Hibari Kyoya was informed of a transfer student with the name _Gesso Byakuran_ , he ordered a background check. Kusakabe was more than glad to help him get all the necessary information about him.

Now, Hibari would never admit that he liked _the_ herbivores and the omnivore. It was still a fact, though, and he did consider them his pack. They were _his_ , just as much as he and _the_ herbivores were the omnivore's. Hibari protected what was his. And if this new student was the very same Byakuran as the one in the future, he was a _danger_.

So, Hibari stayed up all night, hunting down all leads and papers and information, and eventually came upon something that left him pausing for a second.

Gesso Byakuran, the very same Byakuran who had tried to kill all of them in the future, had once lived in Namimori.

Hibari frowned. That couldn't be right. What was he missing?

What he found only made things more confusing.

…

Hibari watched from the Disciplinary Committee's room, from the window, as Sawada Tsunayoshi and Gesso Byakuran arrived at school, Reborn just out of their sight. Hibari watched as they spoke, at ease with each other, and noticed that Reborn didn't seem too worried.

Hibari watched and smirked, as pieces began to fit into their slots.

…

The moment the bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson and the start of the break, Gokudera was out of his seat and pulling Byakuran up by his collar. "You bastard…!"

"Gokudera, stop it!" Tsuna was used to dealing with his friends, though, and was on his feet just as quickly.

"Juudaime…!" Gokudera turned to look at him, shocked, only to see him frowning.

"Let him go!" Tsuna ordered, his eyes flashing orange. "You don't know what happened! You have no right to be angry, so…!"

"Punch me."

Tsuna froze. Gokudera froze. Yamamoto, who was walking over (though leisurely, in no hurry to restrain Gokudera, like he usually would have been), froze.

Gokudera slowly turned to look at those violet orbs that steadily gazed back, _something_ flashing in the depths. "… What?"

"I said, punch me", Byakuran repeated his words. His voice was calm, nearly emotionless, but his eyes weren't. The rest of his expression might have been, but his eyes weren't. "Punch me and be done with it. It was my fault, no matter how you look at it."

Gokudera stared at him, frozen, unsure of how to deal with this situation. He was a criminal, and hitting people was something he could do, but someone _asking_ to be hit? That didn't happen!

How was he supposed to deal with a situation like this?!

Thankfully, Yamamoto came to the rescue. He placed a hand on Gokudera's shoulder and spoke with a big grin on his face. A big grin that his tone of voice didn't match, _at all_. "Maa, maa, Gokudera. You shouldn't punch him."

Slowly, Gokudera let go of Byakuran's collar. Tsuna breathed a sigh of relief before glancing at Yamamoto. He looked happy, but he wasn't going to be the Vongola Decimo for nothing. He had the infamous Hyper Intuition.

Yamamoto was _furious_.

"Tsuna?" Yamamoto turned to him, still smiling. "Maybe you should explain?"

Before he could, the bell rang, signaling the start of another lesson.

Biting his lip, he made a decision. "Lunch on the rooftop. Bring Onii-san, too."

…

"Wait, _what_?!" Gokudera gaped, looking at Tsuna and Byakuran once they had explained everything. He then turned to Byakuran. "How did you even know how to use your Flames?!"

Byakuran shrugged his shoulders. "It came kind of naturally. I think that, in one world, I was raised in the mafia."

"But…" Gokudera still didn't understand.

"My current theory is that although my power _awakened_ during my teen years, I was unconsciously tapping onto it ever since I was born", Byakuran explained. "Since it wasn't a conscious decision and I was desperate to just _change_ things, I managed to gain enough knowledge to know what to do to tamper with Tsu-kun's memories, but not actually become aware of _how_ I did that. For that matter, that was the only time in my childhood that I used Flames, and I don't even remember how to tamper with someone's memory, anymore."

During all of this, Yamamoto had just stared at Byakuran with wide eyes. Now, he blinked a few times, before he suddenly grinned. This time, when he spoke, his tone matched his expression. "Oh, now I remember! You're Demon Byakuran, aren't you?"

Gokudera, who had been about to start questioning the albino more about his ability and how he had used it in the past (consciously or unconsciously), paused and then slowly turned to look at the grinning Yamamoto. "… What?"

"I EXTREMELY remember you, too!" Ryohei exclaimed. "You were an EXTREMELY creepy kid!"

Kyoko slapped his shoulder, her tone chiding. "Onii-san, you can't say something like that!"

Byakuran laughed. "I'm used to it, Sasagawa-chan."

"Wait, what's this about a demon?" Gokudera looked between all of them, confused. In fact, he wasn't sure he even wanted to know, but everyone else seemed to know…

"That's what everyone used to call Bya-kun", Tsuna sighed. He gestured at Byakuran as a whole. "Since he looks like, well, _that_."

Gokudera looked at him for a few seconds before snorting. "Stupid, cowardly _kids_."

They all laughed.

…

Hibari listened, lying on his back with his eyes closed, as the others laughed. He found himself smirking, having listened to the explanation and finding out that he had been on the right track with his own theory.

Before Gokudera could start asking all of his questions about Byakuran's power, Hibari jumped down to the rooftop from his hiding place above the doorway. He was pleased to notice that Tsuna didn't shriek at his appearance anymore, even as the others' reactions annoyed him. Ryohei started screaming, Yamamoto greeted him, Gokudera glared at him, Kyoko beamed at him and Byakuran… he was only staring, and maybe his reaction wasn't that annoying.

Smirking, he looked at the duo like a predator. "You couldn't have kept it from me for long."

And then he walked inside, leaving them blinking after him.

"… What was that?" Tsuna asked.

"I think", Tsuna shrieked as Reborn appeared from out of nowhere, "that he meant that his future self knows about the friendship between you two."

…

Ten years in the future, Yamamoto Takeshi looked around the area they were in. He took note of his fellow Guardians, all well and good. He took note of Irie Shoichi (It was just so _Tsuna_ to not tell them about a plan like this). He also took note that his boss was _not_ there. "Where's Tsuna?"

Confused noises came from the others. Gokudera began looking around frantically. Yamamoto noticed, with a smile, that even Hibari was looking around.

They were all worried for their boss, after all.

"Ah, he already woke up a while ago", Irie Shoichi admitted with a smile. "So, he went on ahead."

"Ahead…?" Yamamoto wasn't the only one who found himself blinking. In fact, at their question, Irie Shoichi began blinking. "Uhh… I thought he was going to the base…?"

… Tsuna wouldn't have left them behind.

"God damnit!" Gokudera cursed. "He did it again!"

Irie Shoichi blinked, and Yamamoto couldn't help but sigh loudly. Only their boss could pull disappearing acts this often and without their notice, running away from his duties like a little kid not wanting to go to school.

While the other Guardians panicked and resigned to the fact that their boss had, _yet again_ , given them the slip, Hibari frowned. He frowned and he thought, because while this wasn't unusual, it wasn't _normal_ , either. For their boss to just leave like that, without a word, at a time like this…

Then he remembered.

"Let him be", Hibari ordered before anyone could suggest running after their boss. They wouldn't understand… but Tsuna didn't need them there right now. "He'll come back when he's ready. Just let him be for now."

"But…!" Gokudera tried, but Hibari had already turned around and was walking away. Reborn tilted his fedora, hiding his eyes from view.

"Maa, maa!" Yamamoto turned to Gokudera. "He's right, you know. Besides, Xanxus is with him!"

…

"I thought you said he didn't know?" Gokudera frowned.

"He didn't", Byakuran tilted his head. "At least, we didn't tell him."

"The only ones who knew were us, and if Hibari-kun figured it out, then Reborn did, too…" Tsuna glanced at the hitman in fear. There was a glint in the baby's eyes, and Tsuna feared for his future self's health.

"And Xanxus", Byakuran added, looking thoughtful.

Everything froze.

"… What do you mean, and Xanxus?!" Tsuna screeched.

"I didn't mention it before?" Byakuran blinked, ignoring the looks he was getting from all of them. "Xanxus also knew of us being best friends. He was the only one we actually told, kind of."

"Why _him_ , of all people?!" Gokudera demanded.

"He was there when we met again and when I gave Tsu-kun a gun and told him to shoot me", Byakuran looked between them in confusion, like he didn't understand what the problem was. They all looked at him, incredulous. How could he _not_ know what the problem there was?!

"Why was Xanxus, of all people, with Tsuna during those times?" Reborn asked.

"I think Tsu-kun was actually running from his duties. He did that often enough, and then he slipped away from all bodyguards. The only ones he didn't were Xanxus and Reborn", Byakuran looked at the sky, thoughtful. "So Tsu-kun had run off during those times we actually met and Xanxus had hunted him down to act as his bodyguard."

They all just stared.

"… The time of miracles is not over, to the extreme!" Ryohei cheered.

"I wasn't expecting that!" Yamamoto laughed.

Byakuran tilted his head. "I don't really get why it's so hard to believe. I mean, Xanxus basically adopted Tsu-kun as his little brother."

 _WHAT_?!

…

 _"_ _VOOI, BOSS!"_

 _"_ _What?" Xanxus snapped, annoyed. Things had been way too hectic lately, what with a_ certain Famiglia _fucking everything up. They had already started a war with Giglio Nero and no doubt Vongola would be next._

 _"_ _A CALL FROM THE MINI-BOSS!"_

 _Xanxus growled but caught the phone Squalo threw to him. He glared at his right-hand man. The man took the hint and left his office, slamming the door closed behind him. Only after that did he place the phone to his ear, snarling. "_ What _?"_

 _"_ _Byakuran's too far gone."_

 _And Xanxus paused, because that was something Tsuna had refused to admit when it had been so obvious. While it was true, for Tsuna to admit it…_

 _The brat had said he wouldn't give up on the other boss._

 _There was something else here._

 _"_ _And?" he asked, the snarling tone gone. Tsuna's voice sounded too bland, and it might have convinced him otherwise, but this just didn't fit into the whole picture. Not with all he knew. Tsuna wasn't someone who just gave up on his friends, no matter what. They could be mentally unstable, hell, they could try to murder him (that was more than_ a few _of his current family members and allies, now that Xanxus thought about it), but Tsuna wouldn't give up on them. Him, giving up on Byakuran… it didn't fit._

 _They… those two were planning something._

 _That was a scary thought, actually. Because Byakuran_ was _insane and Tsuna wasn't exactly_ sane _, either._

 _(You weren't a part of Vongola and retain your sanity. It was a_ fact _.)_

 _"…_ _If I die, fill the coffin with white orchids."_

 _Tsuna hung up, and Xanxus felt dread spread around his body._

…

 _"_ _Boss", Squalo came into the room, uncharacteristically quiet._

 _"_ _What?" Xanxus looked up at him. A quiet Squalo was_ bad _news. Something serious must have happened._

 _"…_ _Mini-boss is dead."_

 _Xanxus' eyes widened. "_ What _?"_

 _"_ _He went to a meeting with that shit, Byakuran, and was shot", Squalo explained._

 _Xanxus was silent. Gears turned in his head as he wondered what meaning_ this _stunt had with everything._

 _Then, he remembered the words Tsuna had said to him once before._

 _"…_ _Tell the trashes to fill his coffin with white orchids."_

 _"_ _What?" Squalo blinked, confused._

 _"_ _Tell the trashes to fill his coffin with white orchids", Xanxus repeated as he tried to solve the puzzle, aware that he was still missing some pieces. "Those were his orders."_

 _Squalo gave him a look. "… That shit's name is_ white orchid _."_

 _"_ _I don't care", Xanxus growled as he stood up and walked around his desk, towards Squalo and the doorway. "Those were his orders. There should be an official paper about that, if the trashes won't believe it otherwise."_

…

When Timoteo informed the Varia that they were to kill Byakuran, Xanxus had refused. It was the first time he had refused an order, had refused to _kill_ , but that one time, he did. He told him, with his own and Timoteo's own subordinates listening, that he would not kill Byakuran, had told _exactly_ what he thought of the stupid idea of killing Byakuran before he became a danger to Vongola.

No one knew it, but that time Xanxus spent mouthing off to Timoteo and the boss spent listening and gathering himself afterwards saved Byakuran's life and allowed him to get on a plane to Japan before Vongola could find him.

Getting another call from Timoteo, informing them of the albino's whereabouts and that Reborn had promised to keep an eye on him made a few gazes to turn his way, especially when he smirked.

Squalo, the most observant one of them, took a seat next to him. He sat there quietly for a while before the noise level rose again, before speaking quietly, so that no one else heard them. "Does this have anything to do with all those times you acted as mini-boss' bodyguard?"

Xanxus laughed. That was enough of an answer for Squalo.

"Mini-boss tricked us, didn't he?" he grimaced. "He tricked us _bad_."

"Oh", Xanxus grinned. "You have no _clue_ , trash."

…

"Hahi!" Haru shrieked the moment she saw Byakuran. "Begone, you evil demon!"

Tsuna didn't even manage to open his mouth before Haru had managed to throw her plate (and the cake on the plate) at Byakuran's face. The fork soon followed.

It took quite a while, but with Kyoko's help, Tsuna managed to calm her down enough to explain everything.

(Byakuran was wary of her when she had flatware anywhere near for _ages_.)

…

A few weeks had passed in relative silence. But then, the Varia came to town.

When they got out of school for the day, Tsuna found himself looking up at Xanxus, who was grinning with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. All of the other students stayed as far away from the man as possible, staring at him in horror. He wasn't trying to hide his guns, after all.

Absently, Tsuna noticed that said other students started to notice that _he_ was standing right before the man. Some noticed that Byakuran was standing a few feet away, chatting with Tsuna's friends like nothing was wrong.

Xanxus looked at Tsuna up and down, still grinning, before saying the words that halted the last thoughts of the other students _ever_ bullying Tsuna again. "You're my little brother, my _fratellino_."

Some sort of horrified silence reigned over the school yard as his classmates stared at him in horror. Tsuna swallowed and said, hesitantly. "Okay… And you're my big brother, then."

" _Fratello_ ", Xanxus corrected him, and Tsuna nodded. "You're my _fratello_ , then."

Xanxus nodded, before turning to the albino. " _Fratellino_ , trash, you still have explaining to do."

Tsuna groaned. "I _knew_ it wouldn't be so simple!"

Byakuran just laughed. "At least you have a _fratello_ now!"

…

After they had explained everything to the Varia (most of them were _a little_ pissed at them for fooling them), Reborn strapped Tsuna onto a chair before herding everyone else except Xanxus out, saying that because they were now brothers, they had to have bonding moments, and thus named himself the planner of said moments.

(After the second time, Byakuran joined him. Tsuna doesn't want to think of it, most of the time.)

…

No one was really sure when or who decided that Byakuran was also Reborn's student. Just that someone did, one day, and then it began circulating. Because forget about Reborn teaching Vongola Decimo, now he was teaching Vongola Decimo _and_ a kid who soon became known as Millefiore Primo.

When Dino heard of it, _of course_ he ran straight to Japan, confused and waiting for an explanation. After he got his explanation, he immediately named himself as not only Tsuna's brother, but also Byakuran's.

(When he later on heard Tsuna calling Xanxus his _fratello_ , he cried. Byakuran brought him marshmallows, and he was never quite as happy about his decision to accept the albino.)

…

Byakuran was at the Inheritance Ceremony. He saw what happened and wanted to help. It was a conflict that didn't involve Byakuran, though, so Timoteo didn't allow it, Reborn didn't allow it and Tsuna didn't allow it. Naturally, while Tsuna was away, Byakuran found himself something else to do.

When Tsuna and the rest came back, the 5 remaining Funeral Wreaths lined up in front of him and bowed. "We thank you for not giving up on our Boss!"

Tsuna sweat-dropped. _Aren't they mad at all…?_

Enma, confused, whispered to him. "What is…?"

Tsuna swallowed and chuckled nervously. "That's… this is going to take a lot of explaining…"

…

When Yuni appeared in front of them, both of them felt guilty. Because they had been successful, their plan had worked out in the end and they were both here now, but Yuni had sacrificed herself. They felt guilty, because _Yuni died because of them and their plan_.

Before they could do more than open their mouths, to explain everything to her ( _she had every right to know, god, she had died because of them!_ ), she opened her mouth and spoke.

"I knew."

They both froze. Reborn, who was always with the two of them, froze. Everyone froze. It felt like even the air froze.

Yuni looked up at them, tears in the corners of her eyes, but _smiling_. "I knew of your plan, all along. I knew of your past, why both of you did what you did."

"Yuni…" Reborn looked at her and then tilted his fedora to hide his eyes, frowning.

Tsuna and Byakuran glanced at one another. They then looked back at Yuni, who smiled at them, closing her eyes. "I'm happy, that it wasn't all for nothing."

And that opened the dam.

They hadn't shed tears for their situation since that night. They hadn't cried when they had told Reborn. Yet, now, they fell to their knees, hugging Yuni tightly and openly sobbing, because _this girl always knew, yet she died anyways, willingly, not even certain that it would help but hoping it would_!

And just as they cried, Yuni cried too, hugging them like her life depended on it. Maybe it did.

"Never", the two teens choked out. " _Never_ do that again, okay?!"

Yuni nodded, sobbing. "Okay!"

They cried, and everyone let them.

(Gamma hit Byakuran afterwards, but then they were in pretty good terms, so it was okay)

…

Funnily enough, Shoichi was the last one to find out. After Tsuna and Byakuran had finished, the redhead just stared between them for a while before looking up at the ceiling and kind-of snarling. " _Of course_."

Byakuran thought it was the funniest reaction.

 **To be honest, I completely forgot Shoichi for a moment there. I only remembered him because I was meant to have Yuni's part as the last one, but then it turned out like that, and I decided that I needed something less sad, read through this and wondered why it felt like I was missing something important.**

 **Anyways, thanks to all those who reviewed, favorited and followed!**

 **If you feel like it, please leave a review! Those make me really happy.**

 **Have a nice day!**


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